The invention relates to a system for the execution of secure transactions in a multimedia network.
Multimedia networks like the Internet offer a wide variety of new possibilities, which will have a great impact on the business environment of the future. Various vendors will start to exploit the Internet as a marketplace. For a customer not to get lost within the vast amount of information that is provided, in the near future agent-based services shall be implemented. Agents are autonomous pieces of software, which may perform tasks for users on the Internet. Based on the user's preferences, they may assist the user in making a selection within the vast range of offered poducts. Complementary to this, the agent may assist in the actual purchase of such a product. As part of this process, the agent will have to be able to perform payments.
One of the biggest inhibitors on Electronic Commerce today is security. Consumers demand that their private information be kept private. When using agent technology within an E-Commerce service, adequate security precautions must be taken. At present, however, agent security is still in its infancy. Therefore, delegating payments to agents is not possible at this moment in time.